2016 Chevrolet Cruze

The redesigned 2016 Chevy Cruze fits perfectly with Chevy's new lineup, including the recently redesigned Malibu, Volt, and Impala. With its angular front featuring narrowed headlamps and downward pointed hood, the new muscular look carries over well to the compact sedan.

Taking the Cruze on the road, you'll notice pretty quickly that Chevy's goal was comfort. We rode away in the 6-speed automatic (also available in manual), and were impressed by the smooth suspension navigating out of pothole-ridden NYC. Getting on the highway, the Cruze had good acceleration, enough to confidently pass and merge — although not enough to wow. Steering was smooth on the highway as well — the wheel gives you a bit more leeway, so you're not darting around the lane with every slight movement. Gas mileage is great for road trips too, with a 1.4L turbocharged engine delivering an EPA-estimated 42 miles per gallon.

It was only in stop-and-go mode that we noticed any hiccups. The auto-stop feature, which turns your engine off at stoplights and comes standard on a lot of new vehicles, failed to restart on two occasions. This caused a moment of confusion and a line of angry drivers to form as we rushed to put the car back in park to restart the engine. So far, we haven't encountered any other instances of this happening — but we've passed along the feedback to Chevrolet.

As for the vehicle interior, perhaps one of the most surprising features of the compact Chevy Cruze was the trunk — we were surprised at how deep it was. The 14 cubic feet of available cargo space was also remarkably rectangular, with little intrusion from the rear wheel bases.

If you're a smartphone owner, we'd also recommend checking out the tech packages available for the Cruze. Offering either a 7- or 8-inch touchscreen, Mylink (Chevy's infotainment interface) supports Apple Carplay and Android Auto so you can have access to Siri or Google Now right from the steering wheel. Maps and music are just as easily accessible, with screen interfaces that will be familiar to Apple and Android users.

Bottom Line: For anyone seeking a road-trip-friendly compact sedan with great modern tech options, the 2016 Chevy Cruze is a solid choice.

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